Family of slain woman accuses LA County sheriff's deputy of not acting to save her

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Activists and a woman's family called for an investigation after she was found fatally shot in a bullet-riddled Mercedes-Benz at a busy intersection in South Los Angeles.

The family of the woman shot and killed accuses a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy who responded to the call of failing to provide possibly life-saving aid for several minutes.

The shooting was reported at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, when a deputy assigned to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Parks Bureau was alerted to a vehicle that had been shot on Vermont Avenue near the the 105 Freeway overpass, the agency said.

"It was initially unclear whether the vehicle belonged to the suspect or the victim," the Sheriff's Department said in a statement. "From the patrol car the Deputy requested assistance from South Los Angeles Sheriff's Station and the Los Angeles County Fire Department."

Additional deputies arrived at the scene, and a woman who had been shot multiple times was found in the driver's seat, a sheriff's spokesperson told ABC7. She was later identified by her family as 22-year-old Raejonette Morgan.

Multiple bullet holes were seen on the sedan's driver-side door and windows. The vehicle drove up onto a sidewalk and came to a stop near a freeway entrance after the shooting, and several onlookers gathered.

One witness at the scene launched a livestream on Facebook, showing footage of several deputies removing the wounded Morgan from inside the car and laying her down on the ground.

In the video, a deputy wearing blue plastic gloves is seen examining Morgan in an apparent attempt to discover where she has been shot. Fire Department paramedics arrive about 3 minutes later.

Morgan was transported to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where she died of her wounds Thursday.

In a statement released Thursday on behalf of Morgan's family and civil rights attorney Ben Crump, activist Najee Ali demanded "a full investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department" into the woman's death, claiming that a deputy "sat in his patrol car and rendered no aid to help the shooting victim."

"This deputy's inaction captured on video is reminiscent of the Sheriff's deputy in the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas who stood by as children were being shot to death and he refused to offer any aid to school children who were begging for help and died," Ali's statement said.

"We are also calling for a meeting with Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff Robert Luna who has a long track record of great character and integrity," Ali added. "What his deputy did which was captured on cell phone video by a good Samaritan in refusing to render aid to a shooting victim was shocking, reprehensive, and inexcusable."

In a statement issued Thursday morning, the Sheriff's Department said it "is conducting a Critical Incident Review of the entire incident which will include the Deputy's response, equipment, training, and tactics to determine if Department policies and procedures were followed. We are deeply concerned about this incident and detectives are diligently working to solve this heinous murder and bring justice to the family. We extend our sincere condolences to the family of Raejonette Morgan during this tragic time. The Department is unwavering in our commitment to saving lives and protecting our community members in any emergency situation."

No arrest has been made in connection with the shooting, and no description of a suspect was released.

Ali said Morgan was "allegedly shot by gang members in what her family states was a case of mistaken identity."

Witness speaks out: 'She could have been saved'

Ali, Crump and members of Morgan's family held a news conference Friday morning.

Witnesses say an L.A. County sheriff's deputy arrived on scene within a couple minutes, but failed to check on Morgan, instead staying near his patrol unit reporting the shooting.

"He was sitting there on the phone, he was saying 'We've got a fatality. We're going to probably need a helicopter,'" said Dionne M. Leslie, who captured much of the aftermath of the shooting on video. "You're reporting a fatality that didn't even happen, and she could have been saved."

At the news conference outside the sheriff's South L.A. station, Leslie said she begged the deputy on scene to render first aid to Morgan, but that he refused. As the minutes ticked by with no aid from the deputy, the video shows Leslie using her shoe to break the window in an effort to get to Morgan.

"That officer, he should go to jail for doing what he did: nothing!" Leslie said. "He stood there and chewed gum like it was fine."

The Sheriff's Department says it was initially unclear whether the car belonged to the suspect or the victim, and that Morgan was removed from the car and given first aid when other deputies arrived on the scene.

But Leslie said that was several minutes later

"So much time went past, maybe seven or eight minutes if you time the video," she said. "That's a long time for someone who's already shot."

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the sheriff's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Tipsters who prefer to provide information anonymously may call Crime Stoppers by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use a smartphone by downloading the P3 Tips mobile app on Google Play or the Apple App Store, or by visiting the Crime Stoppers website.